T. Rex

T. Rex

Diet : Carnivorous

Habitat : Forests and marshes of North America

Length : Up to 44 feet (13.5 meters)

Weight : Almost 16,000 lbs. (7.2 tonnes)

In 1994, a Tyrannosaurus footprint was described from Late Cretaceous deposits in New Mexico and named Tyrannosauripus. This is very large, 34 inches long (86 cm), slightly asymmetrical in shape, three-toed theropod track, about two thirds as wide as long and big claw on the inner toe (second digit).

Tyrannosaurus, the “tyrant lizard” is possibly the most famous dinosaur of all. It was a huge bipedal animal with a massive skull balanced by a long, heavy tail. The largest known Tyrannosaurus rex skulls measure 5 ft. (1.5 m) in length. Relative to the large and powerful hindlimbs, Tyrannosaurus forelimbs were tiny. The most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, “Sue,” found in South Dakota in 1990 shows evidence of healed facial injuries inflicted by another T. rex. Few victims escaped its mouthful of razor-sharp teeth, each as long as a steak knife. The jaws were clamped together using enormously powerful jaw muscles. The teeth at the front of the upper jaw were closely packed. The remaining teeth were robust, like “bananas” rather than daggers and more widely spaced. The largest is  12 inches long (30 cm) – making it the record of any carnivorous dinosaur teeth. Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the biggest meat-eater ever to walk on Earth (with exception of Spinosaurus). But there has been a long-running debate over whether Tyrannosaurus was a top or “apex” predator or a scavenger. Today some of the most effective hunters like the Komodo Dragon are also scavengers, and T. rex, even if it was a skillful killer, may also have fed on dead animals.